The tricky part is whether any of those players get to the Brewers, who are in next-to-last claiming position in the National League by virtue of a win-loss record that ranks second to the Dodgers.

General manager Doug Melvin had hoped to add a reliever in July, making what he characterized as serious offers for a number of players. Among those in whom Melvin expressed interest were Joaquin Benoit of the Padres, Koji Uehera of the Red Sox and Addison Reed and Brad Ziegler of the D-backs.

The Brewers found no deals to their liking. Multiple clubs requested Milwaukee's top prospect, 25-year-old starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson, in straight-up trades for a reliever. With Nelson in the Brewers' big league rotation since before the All-Star break, Melvin was not willing to go there.

"We left no stone unturned this trade season, or now this waiver season in an overall [effort] to make our club better," Attanasio said. "We've done everything we could."

Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brew Beat, and follow him on Twitter at @AdamMcCalvy. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.